“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” (Matthew 5:5 NLT)
The root of the word humble comes from the Latin word humus, meaning “earth.” It is incredibly fitting, then, that Jesus connects humility with the inheritance of the earth. It is this very inheritance that we read about in Revelation 21 and 22, where John writes about the old heaven and earth being replaced by a new heaven and a new earth populated with God’s people.
It is only through humility – recognizing that God formed us out of the dust of the earth and we can make nothing out of ourselves except through God’s infinite grace – that we are able to call ourselves God’s people and inheritors of the new earth. Being people of humility therefore requires that we not allow the seeds of pride to plant themselves in our souls.
Pride is often subtle and insidious, like a weed with roots that run deep and wrap themselves around healthy, wanted plants. Excising the weed of pride from the better qualities of love, faith, godliness, and the like takes dedication, patience, and hard work. This is only possible with the guiding hand of the Spirit to point out where seeds are taking root and to exhume the bad while leaving the good. And like weeding a garden, the work of weeding out pride will never be complete until the near earth has been established. Spend time with a journal or in self-reflection today to allow the Holy Spirit to engage in the process of excising the weed of pride wherever it exists in your heart to set you on the path of humility.